Egypt's first legislature in more than three years, a 596-seat chamber packed with supporters of President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, held its inaugural session Sunday, signaling the completion of a political road map announced after the 2013 military overthrow of an elected Islamist president.
The assembly, elected in November and December, is the first legislature since Sissi, as military chief, led the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi amid mass protests against the Islamist leader and his Muslim Brotherhood.
The new chamber’s first task will be to ratify about 300 decrees issued by Sissi since taking office in June 2014 and by interim president Adly Mansour before him.
Under the constitution, these decrees must be ratified within 15 days of the start of the inaugural session.
Failure to do so will result in the automatic repeal of the laws.
